


The Truth Will Out

by kirikaclyne



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Honesty, high noon, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 11:41:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11103858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirikaclyne/pseuds/kirikaclyne
Summary: Reyes Vidal is a man of many secrets, and that is something Sophie Ryder can accept. But can she accept what he's hidden when she's thrown in the middle and her life is in danger?My version of how High Noon should have gone down.





	The Truth Will Out

Sophie Ryder clenched her armoured fists tightly as she followed a few steps behind the self styled queen of Kadara. The animosity between herself and Sloane Kelly had been thick since Ryder and the Tempest first landed in the port, but the more she’d learned about the Outcast’s operations on the planet, the more Sophie had quietly been helping out the Collective. She knew that the Initiative would never be overly welcome on the planet the Exile's had claimed as their own, but she sure as hell would never side with Sloane after the shit she’d witnessed.

Extortion, murder, drug dealing and creation to foster addiction … all of these things were part of Sloane’s MO. She didn’t care about the people who had thrown in with her during the Nexus revolt. As far as Sophie could tell, all she cared about was maintaining her power and control.

As the two women walked further into the cave, Sophie really wondered _why_ she’d allowed herself to fall victim to Sloane’s threats and blackmail. She’d decided to leave her squad behind on the ship, electing to deal with both Sloane and the Charlatan on her own. Drack, Jaal, and Liam had all argued vociferously with her, but she’d shouted them down. She needed the crew to have plausible deniability if something went wrong, or if she did something in a morally grey area. She needed them to believe the Pathfinder was above taking sides in a gangwar.

Although the Collective agents she’d run across had let slip that they were under orders from the Charlatan to not harm her, she wasn’t sure how her presence at this duel would affect that.

The steady ‘drip, drip’ from the stalactites further in the cave scratched at her already raw nerves, her hands itching for the weight of her Carnifex pistol. Sure Sloane had told her that the Charlatan had demanded a duel after beating Kaetus to a pulp, but a part of her wondered if it had all been a trick to kill the Pathfinder. After all, what better message to send to the Nexus leadership than the giant “fuck you” her head on a pike would send?

Sloane came to a stop in the belly of the cave, the red light of the setting Kadara sun casting eerie shadows in all corners, but brightly lighting the center, making it look like the battle ring it would turn into. Sophie almost smiled at the poetic irony of the spectacle.   
  
“And in this corner, ladies and gentlemen … .” she mumbled quietly, smirking as Sloane turned baleful eyes towards her.  
  
Somewhere above them, a rock skittered and fell down the embankment towards Sloane. Sophie’s heart hammered against her chest plate, all humor leaving her. The tension and suspense becoming palpable in the air as both women scanned their surroundings.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone,” a Spanish accented voice said from the shadows.

Everything around Sophie slowed to a crawl as she turned towards the voice that, in any other circumstance, made her heart flutter and her knees weak. But hearing it here was like being reawakened from cryo. She felt cold and almost like she couldn’t draw breath properly.

“Reyes … .” she whispered, not recognizing her own voice as the man himself stepped into the light. His eyes flickered to her, and she saw the surprise and … fear? Why would he be … she drew in a gasping breath as everything fell together in her mind. The reason the Collective had orders not to harm her or her crew. How he’d known the Charlatan had no part in the murders they’d investigated together.

“I’m here for the Charlatan, not some third rate smuggler.” Sloane sneered, interrupting their moment of silent introspection.

Sophie’s teeth ground together, her anger bubbling like magma just below the surface as she stared at the back of Sloane; for she’d turned her back on them both to continue scanning the cave. “They’re one and the same.” She hissed in fury.   


In truth, all of her fury was purely directed at Sloane, and she couldn’t explain why the other woman’s easy dismissal of Reyes as the Charlatan rankled her so much. Frankly, she should be furious with _him_. He’d kept his true identity hidden from her, despite all they’d shared. True neither of them had said the words out loud, but Sophie knew that she’d fallen head over heels for the cocky, flirty smuggler. And she was pretty sure he felt the same way about her.  

Sloane turned back towards Reyes, her eyes narrowed to slits as she finally considered him.

Reyes smirked at her, but there wasn’t a touch of his usual warmth there. “Surprise.”

Sophie gasped as she looked at him. She had never before seen such darkness in his eyes, and a part of her was suddenly afraid. As though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her, she suddenly understood that he was so much more than a smuggler.

“All this time … it was you. You used me to … .” But she couldn’t finish that thought, a sob threatening to bubble up. She breathed deeply, pushing against the seals of her armour before asking her most pressing question. “Was anything between us real? Or was it all part of your grand scheme to depose Sloane?”

Reyes’ eyes flashed to hers, all burning heat and no small amount of pleading. “Everything I told you was true, mi cariño. You _know_ who I really am. I had hoped to deal with this ...” He pointed between himself and Sloane. “... before you became too involved.”

Sloane turned towards Sophie then, her lip curled in hatred. “She got herself involved when she started helping your _Collective._ ” She sneered, her disdain for the Pathfinder like a thick cloud filling the small space.

Sophie glared back at Sloane, matching her hatred, but also understanding something else. She’d been used as a pawn by both of them. She would have laughed at the irony if her mind could formulate how.

Sloane turned back towards Reyes. “You said you wanted to ‘settle things’. How exactly do you plan to do that?”

Reyes jumped down from the ledge to stand directly in front of Sloane, his eyes once again completely devoid of all warmth, his unadulterated hatred for the woman plain to see. “A duel. You and me. Winner takes Kadara Port.”

Sophie’s mind kicked back in, and she laughed incredulously. “Are you fucking kidding me? You want to avoid war and bloodshed by shooting each other?” Her hot anger mixed with bone chilling dread, and this time it was _all_ directed at Reyes Vidal. This was beyond stupid, even for him! Sloane was Alliance trained. Reyes … actually, they really had never discussed what he’d done before coming to Andromeda. But given how he’d fought the Roekaar and the smugglers when Zia ambushed them, he could definitely hold his own in a fight.

Neither of the combatants answered her, but a chill ran down Sophie’s spine as Sloane took a step back and smirked at her opponent. “Alright. I’ll take those terms.” A note of arrogance in her English accented voice.

Sophie threw her hands up in frustration. “So what? You going to do it old west style? Back to back and twenty paces before killing each other? Or is that too dramatic for the both of you?”

Reyes smirked, a small chuckle escaping his lips. But Sloane paid her no mind, she was in pure soldier mode as she and Reyes circled one another.

_This can’t be happening … just my luck I fall in love with_ The Charlatan _, Scott’s going to have a field day with that. And if Reyes loses, Sloane is going to kill me too. Which was probably her plan the entire time. Eliminate all threats to her power._ Sophie’s heart hammered, true fear overpowering her senses for the first time since Habitat 7.

As she continued to watch the two crime bosses circle each other, a tiny glint in the shadows caught her eye. Her sniper trained eyes quickly located the the source. The shiny barrel of a rifle, aimed directly at the two combatants. SAM quickly confirmed for her.

_“Sniper. His sights are set on Sloane,”_ he said over their private, two way connection.

On the one hand, she wasn’t surprised that Reyes would hedge his bets against someone like Sloane. On the other hand … she was about to make her own position abundantly clear to both gangs.

_“SAM, overload that rifle. Even Sloane doesn’t deserve a shot in the back,”_ Sophie relied through their connection.

_“Do you plan to betray Mr. Vidal, Pathfinder?”_

Sophie closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as she drew her Carnifex from her hip, praying she was making the right choice. _“No, no I don’t.”_

Everything around Sophie suddenly sped up to hyperspeed. There was loud cursing from the shadows as SAM overloaded the sniper’s rifle, and within seconds she was standing next to Reyes, their shoulders bumping as she stared down Sloane. She watched Sloane’s eyes widen in surprise as her quick hand drew her own pistol, but Sophie planted her feet, her pistol already raised, and her aim perfect.

The thunder of the shot rolled through the cave as Sloane’s head snapped back, Sophie’s shot landing dead center in the middle of her forehead.  

Absolute silence cracked through every corner of the cave in the seconds that followed. Sophie’s hand trembled slightly as the world slowed to normal speed, the adrenaline beginning to ebb away, leaving raw nerves in its wake.

Footsteps hurried towards them, and Sophie coiled, pivoting on the balls of her feet and brought her pistol to bear on the newcomers. But Reyes stepped in front of her, his voice like ice.

“Get rid of her, and alert the others. Kadara Port is ours tonight.” His men nodded and moved around them, none taking any true notice of the Pathfinder.

Once they were gone, Sophie’s whole body shuddered as she finally allowed her battle reflexes to release, but her mind’s eye continued to loop the look of shock and betrayal in Sloane’s eyes again and again. Her pistol clattered into the dirt as the first sob rattled from her chest.

“Mr. Vidal,” SAM called through Sophie’s omni-tool, “I believe the Pathfinder is going into shock.”

Reyes whirled and caught her as her legs gave out, sliding to the ground with her and clutching her tightly. “Mi alma,” he whispered as he gently stroked her hair, her whole body trembling with the mix of sobs and fleeting adrenaline. His voice was back to normal, back to just Reyes and not the Charlatan. “Why did you do it?”

Sophie hiccupped as she pulled away to look him in the eye. “I … I couldn’t let her hurt you, and I couldn’t let _you_ shoot her in the back.”

Trepidation filled his eyes as he hesitantly brought a hand to her cheek, gently wiping away the tears that still streamed down her cheeks. Sophie leaned into his touch, the warmth of his hand radiating through his gloves and providing more comfort than she could express. She raised her own hand to cover his as they just looked at each other, taking comfort where they could.

“Why didn’t you trust me?” she whispered, unable to conceal the hurt she felt.

Reyes dropped his hand from her face and looked away. Sophie felt the absence of comfort and longed for it, but the pure shame coloring his cheeks as he swallowed, stopped her from acting. He seemed to fight to answer her question. “I … liked the way you looked at me. That you only saw _Reyes_ and not _the Charlatan_.” He turned his face back towards her, but his eyes remained downcast. She could see the glistening of tears at the edges. “I was afraid that would change.”

All of the anger Sophie had been holding melted away. She remembered their conversation sitting on the roof of Kralla’s Song, drinking their prized stolen whiskey.

_“Why did you come here, Reyes?” she asked, slightly tipsy, but completely relaxed as the rather excellent whiskey sang through her body. She passed him the bottle and leaned back, resting her back against his shoulder to bask in the rising sun and the sounds of the shuttles taking off and landing. This was her idea of paradise. Good drinks, nice company, and no constant pressure of responsibility weighing on her shoulders. For the first time since waking from cryo, she was just_ Sophie.

_When Reyes didn’t answer, she turned her head to look back at him. He was playing with the bottle, obviously deep in thought. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she took in his serious profile. The alcohol had lowered her defences and for the first time she openly admired the man beside her._

_Although he was obviously at least ten years older than her, she couldn’t deny the … chemistry between them. From the time of that first meeting in the bar below them, she’d felt a spark of attraction. He was handsome, though he was very aware of that fact. His dark hair and bronzed skin were striking, and she’d noticed more than a few people of both sexes give him an appraising look as they’d spoken. His flirtiness and humour were a good match for her sarcasm. They quickly found they were of the same mind on many things, and he’d left her speechless with a simple wink._

_He looked over at her now, his seriousness cracking as he finally noticed her open appraisal. He gave the barest smile as he took a drink and looked back out over the port. “To be someone. That is why I came to Andromeda.”_

_Sophie felt her heart melt at the pure honesty she heard in his answer. She sat up and turned so that they were now sitting next to one another. She moved her leg to deliberately touch his, feeling the warmth radiating between them._

_Reyes looked down at their touching legs before bringing his eyes back to her face. There was surprise, but also desire in the depths of them. Sophie smiled shyly as a new warmth that had nothing to do with alcohol swept through her core. “You’re someone to me.”_

_Reyes blinked once in surprise, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he raised his hand to cup her cheek. “I’m starting to think that kiss in the storage room was more than a distraction.”_

_Sophie snorted a laugh. “You’re_ just _figuring that out? I thought it was pretty damn good myself.”_

_Reyes’ eyes darkened further, his pupils blown wide with desire and lust as he leaned closer, his nose touching hers and his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Perhaps I need another example, just to refresh my memory.”_

Sophie pulled her gloves off and laid them next to her before scooting closer to Reyes, placing her bare hand on his cheek much the same way he’d done with her that night. Her heart ached as she watched Reyes clench his eyes shut, seemingly afraid to look at her.

“Reyes, nothing’s changed.” she whispered. His eyes flew open, searching hers with an air of disbelief. She smiled fondly at him, running her thumb gently across his cheekbone. “I knew what I was getting into when I let myself fall in love with you. Maybe not the title, but I knew you had secrets. I guessed that you’d let me in with time.”

His pupils blew wide, and there was such love in them that Sophie beamed as he wound his fingers into her dark, wavy locks, pulling her into a searing kiss. Sophie melted, pushing herself against him and knocking both of them to the ground. Without breaking the kiss, Reyes switched their positions and rolled on top of her slighter frame.

Moments later, though it could have been hours, Reyes pulled back. He stared down at her, a look of hunger on his face. “You have bad taste in men, mi cariño.”

Sophie stared back at him, her chest heaving and body burning with a desire she’d never felt before. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she leaned up and rested her nose against his ear. He shuddered as she took the lobe between her lips, grazing her teeth on the tender skin. She pulled back slightly and breathed just two words. “The worst.”

She could feel his hard length resting between her thighs as she lay back on the ground. His hands caressed her cheeks, but there was a new look of restraint in his eyes. “My Sophie. As much as I desire you right now, I will _not_ let our first time be in this cave.”

Sophie breathed deeply, and groaned in frustration as her reason finally pushed her hormones down, if only slightly. “Then where shall we go, oh King of Kadara?”

Reyes smiled down at her. “For my beautiful Queen, only the best will do.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, HUGE thanks to MizDirected for being the world's most awesome beta! Also for giving me the shoves I need to actually finish something. Just an FYI, I know ZERO Spanish. The few phrases in here come via Google Translate. So HOPEFULLY it makes sense. 
> 
> I am planning at least one more chapter with these two, and it will be smut. Beyond that ... we'll see.


End file.
